| Research Abstract |
To understand the physiological function of PKN,PKN-associated proteins were analyzed.
1) Identification and characterization of PKN-associated proteins
PKN-assocaited proteins were identified by the yeast two-hybrid system. By this screening, it has been found that PKN asscoiates some cytoskeletal components such as neurofilament, vimentin, and a-actinin. Moreover, the interaction between PKN and PCD17 has been shown. PCD17 is a neural antigen, which is recognized by anti-Pukinje cell autoantibodies, detected in sera and cerebrospinal fluids of patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration syndrome, and it has been suggested to be transcriptional factor by the primary structure.
2) Translocation of PKN from the cytosol to the nucleus induced by stresses
Effects of environmental stresses on the subcellular location of PKN were investigated in the cultured cells. The immunoflueorescence of PKN resided prominently in the cytoplasmic region in non-stressed cells. When these cells were treated at the high degree of temperature, there was a time-dependent decrease of the immunofluorescence of PKN in the cytoplasmic region that correlated with an increase within the nucleus.
These results described as above raise the possibilities that PKN has important roles both in the cytoskeletal organization and nuclear events.
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